Wellington remembered

WellingtonWellington's decorationsWellington is rightly remembered as a great military commander, and especially for his tactical virtuosity and adaptability to circumstances - whether in monsoon India, amid the mountains of Spain or the plains of Flanders.

He was a pragmatic general. He recognised the value of direct and personal intervention on the battlefield and proper reconnaissance and supply - for a man renowned for his good luck, he rarely left things to chance.

Assisted by his physical strength - he survived climates that felled lesser men - and through the example of his personal bravery, honest bearing and commanding stature, he won the admiration of his men for avoiding needless bloodshed, and by his sometimes harsh discipline he brought into being a remarkable fighting force.

King's College salutes the role of Wellington in its foundation in which he played a decisive role. The building of the College in the Strand also owes much to his influence and patronage.

When the new Queen Victoria and her principal subjects processed past King's on the occasion of her accession in 1837, it was therefore not surprising that the loudest cheers were reserved for the great general, Napoleon's conqueror.

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